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Inspiration Behind Whispers of Shadow and Flame

I love knowing how stories come about because every author thinks differently and the lightning strike of inspiration can happen anytime and anywhere. I was in book lust as soon as I saw the cover of L. Penelope's new release...

Not only is it a beautiful cover in the visual sense, but the title Whispers of Shadow & Flame (Earthsinger Chronicles Book 2)
is super intriguing. If that wasn't enough, the tag line definitely sinks the hook deeper. Also, I'm always looking for diverse books to read and not too many fantasy titles have a black man on the cover...so bonus!

Once I checked out the blurb, there was no turning back:

Genre: Fantasy Romance, Dieselpunk

Age Range: Adult

Born with a deadly magic she cannot control, Kyara is forced to become an assassin. Known as the Poison Flame, she is notorious and lethal, but secretly seeks freedom from both her untamed power and the blood spell that commands her. She is tasked with capturing the notorious rebel called the Shadowfox, but everything changes when she learns her target’s true identity.

Darvyn ol-Tahlyro may be the most powerful Earthsinger in generations, but guilt over those he couldn’t save tortures him daily. He isn’t sure he can trust the mysterious young woman who claims to need his help, but when he discovers Kyara can unlock the secrets of his past, he can’t stay away.

As forbidden desire ignites their hearts, Kyara and Darvyn grapple with betrayal, old promises, and older prophecies—all while trying to stop a war. And when a new threat emerges, the cost of their love might just be too high.

What happens next? That was the question I asked myself as soon as the edits were done on my first novel, Song of Blood & Stone. With a publication date set for the first book, I knew I had to get started on the next in the series. I had notes and rough outlines for the four books in the Earthsinger Chronicles, but that wasn’t the same thing as really knowing what was about to go down.

Before I could write it, I had to feel it. And to feel it, I had to walk down the road of heartbreak that my characters inevitably take – at least in my mind.

My inspiration comes from emotion – many times I’ll read or watch or listen to something that’s got me all in the feelings, and then I’ll try to figure out how to elicit those emotions in others.

For Whispers of Shadow and Flame, I was really interested in exploring what it would feel like to fall for the worst person imaginable? Like, someone who was trying to kill you, or someone you were supposed to kill or harm. Also, what would it feel like to have no control over what you did? What would you be willing to do to exert some autonomy over your life?

I was a teenager at one point, so I’m very well acquainted with that feeling of being strapped in by all the boundaries and wanting to break free. But adulthood isn’t the paradise we imagined as kids. There are still plenty of forces pulling us in different directions, as well as choices being made for us, and responsibilities we can’t shirk..

Writing, just as much as reading, has always been an escape for me. A way to work out frustrations and make the world make sense. Whether I’m reading about other peoples’ characters, or creating my own, I’m looking for that sense of freedom that comes from taking on another’s burdens, at least for a little while.

About the Author

Leslye Penelope believes love is magic and likes her romance with a healthy dose of imagination. She's been writing since she could hold a pen and is the author of new adult, fantasy, and paranormal romance with multicultural characters.

At one time or another she's been a filmmaker, tape dubber, tech support specialist, model, poll worker, professor, and DJ. She has a quote from The Matrix tattooed on her arm and sometimes dreams in HTML. After living on both coasts, she settled in Maryland with her husband and their furry dependents: an eighty-pound lap dog and an aspiring feral cat.

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